Kevin Morgan invites trombonists in the South-West to get together for a massed blow at The Crown, Winterborne Stickland on the 20th July.

20th July 2008
The Crown, Winterborne Stickland, Blandford, Dorset, DT110NJ
6.00-9.00pm
All trombonists welcome
Further further Information or to confirm attendance email: trombonemusic@mac.com

(The date coincides with a cricket match between the village and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra at Milton Abbey earlier in the day.)

Young trombonists from across Europe have been flocking to an international summer course in Alicante, Spain for a week of intensive masterclasses and workshops. This year’s course is set to be even bigger, featuring guest trombone artists Ben van Dijk, Jorgen van Rijen, Javier Colomer, Carol Jarvis and Jaume Gavilan.

The course will focus on improving technique, ensemble playing, orchestral section work, orchestral excerpts, preparation for auditions, covering all styles and musical eras. There will also be concerts from Spanish Brass and the course tutors.

Carol Jarvis has really enjoyed heading out in past summers:

The highlight of my year is when I get invited back to Spain to coach on courses run by Javier Colomer. The courses are always packed full of brilliant artists giving plenty of classes and concerts (all spoken in English, so nothing to worry about!). The weather never fails to be wonderful, the place is gorgeous, they work hard but also know how to party hard and with Spanish Brass joining us at the end of the week no-one can possibly walk away disappointed. Flights to Alicante are always advertised at good rates, the price for students on the course is just astounding and I’d love to see more English trombonists coming over to join us for what’s bound to be yet another great week in the sun.

The cost of the course for professionals / advanced students is €200. The course for medium students is €150. There will be a maximum of 15 students per teacher. Student accommodation is available for €25. Food is available from restaurants and bars.
Full information available from Escuela Comarcal de Música del Comtat.

The Scottish Chamber Orchestra’s trombone section has a trombone quartet called Slide Effect and with the backing of Glasgow-based music publisher Mitre Music they have announced three recitals.

Sun 3rd Aug - Balquihidder Summer Music, Balquihidder Parish Church, Scotland
Sat 20th Sept - Kyles of Bute Music Club, Tighnabruich, Scotland
Sat 22nd Nov - Ayr Music Club, Ayr, Scotland

More information about the group is available on the Slide Effect website.

With the raft of cheap flights to Denmark, there is sure to be plenty of interest in the International Trombone Festival next summer in Aarhus. The festival is 25-28th of June 2009, hosted by Niels-Ole Bo Johansen at the Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus.

Brandt Attema (NL), Håkan Björkman (S), Jonas Bylund (S), Michael Davis (USA), Steen Hansen (DK), Chris Houlding (UK), Alex Iles (USA), Jesper Juul (DK), John Kenny (UK), Christian Lindberg (S), Michael Mulcahy (USA), Mark Nightingale (UK), Vincent Nilsson (S/DK), Bill Reichenbach (USA), Jörgen van Rijen (NL), Stefan Schulz (D), PK Svensen (N), Jiggs Whigham (USA) and more to come.

Orchestras/ensembles: Aarhus Symphony Orchestra – The Regimental Band of H.R.H The Prince of Denmark – Stockholm Chamber Brass – Århus Sinfonietta

For more information, browse www.itf2009.org

After a distinguished career at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Peter Gane will be stepping down from being Head of Department this summer. Having nurtured a great number of brass players, particularly trombonists, there are plenty who may wish to send a small message on this occasion. Jim Dean at Guildhall invites brass players to get in touch so that they can put together a big card for Peter, to be presented in early July.

Send your messages for Peter to: Jim Dean jim.dean@gsmd.ac.uk

The Royal Academy of Music present a trombone concert next week, directed by Bob Hughes, and includes two world premières from Timothy Bowers and Richard Turner.

Programme to include:
Meyerbeer Coronation March from Le Prophète
Gabrieli Sonata Pian’e Forte
Timothy Bowers Sonata for tenor trombone and piano (world première)
JS Bach Passacaglia in C minor
Richard Turner In Memoriam DSCH (world première)

Thursday 12th June, 1:05pm
Duke’s Hall, Royal Academy of Music, London
Free, no tickets required

Following the success and oversubscription of the first event in 2006, the Dutch Bass Trombone Open will run again during 5-7th September 2008. The weekend workshop housed in a castle in Holland will be led by bass trombonists Douglas Yeo, Mark Frost, Phil Teele and Ben van Dijk.

The event is open to all bass trombone players, regardless of age or ability - there’s no “competition” element involved at any stage. We can host a maximum of 50 players at the event.

For full information, check out www.dbto.nl

Rod Franks will be conducting a symphonic brass ensemble in some classical arrangements this Sunday afternoon in central London. JDBrass is formed around Royal Academy of Music BMus student James Davies and has previously played a chamber recital at the RAM.

James Davies will present his arrangements of the last movement of Shostakovich’s 5th Symphony and Wagner’s Siegfried Idyll, whilst they will also perform the fanfare from Janacek’s Sinfonietta (arr. Chris Mowat) and Eric Crees’ arrangement of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue.

Sunday 8th June 2008, 4pm
Sunday Recital Series, St. George’s Bloomsbury, WC1A 2HR, London
Symphonic Brass Ensemble, conductor Rod Franks
FREE entry
Full information from JDBrass

Michael Nyman has set a piece for solo trombone and piano, to be given the premiere this Saturday by Peter Moore. This year’s BBC Young Musician winner will perform the piece at London’s Cadogan Hall as part of a Nyman festival.

With the title “If”, the piece is taken from the film score “The Diary of Anne Frank” and has been set by the composer to be accompanied by him on piano.